Dan Errotabere

Dan Errotabere is a Director At-Large and a member of the Executive Committee

For people who know Dan Errotabere, they probably know that he is a large-scale diversified farmer in the Riverdale area; a member of numerous boards; or a go-to person on agricultural water issues. What they may not know is that his first language was French.

In fact, it was because of Errotabere’s first language that his parents met. His father was born in a French-Basque village in France, called Aldudez, just two miles from the Spanish-French border. He came to Riverdale in the late 40s, to work with his brother (Errotabere’s uncle) on the ranch, which was started in the late 20s.

Errotabere’s mother, a native of Vancouver, Canada, also came to the Valley to look for work, where she was a waitress at the Santa Fe Basque Restaurant in downtown Fresno (now locally known as Sheppard’s Inn.). For local Basque people, including Errotabere’s father, this was quite a hang out. Because both his mother and father spoke French, they met with something in common and the rest became history.

Errotabere and his brothers, Jean and Remi, took over the ranch from their father in 1979. Today, they have three farming companies that span over 5,500 acres throughout Westside Fresno County. They farm a variety of crops, including: almonds, pistachios, processing tomatoes, garlic, pima cotton, alfalfa, wheat, safflower, Romaine lettuce, processing onions, seed lettuce, cantaloupes and honey dew.

Errotabere enjoys the intricacies involved with farming. “I enjoy the independency of our decisions and the lifestyle,” he said. “There is such variability to your daily routine.” He mentioned that he goes through a different process everyday, depending on the needs of the operation.

Errotabere brings experience with water issues to the Board

Water is such a key element to farming,” Errotabere said. “It is the beginning of the farming process. The amount of water that is available will determine what crops you plant for that given year.”

Through this planning, Errotabere’s knowledge of water has evolved over time. As a result, he has served on the Westlands Water District Board, California Cotton Growers Association Board, Farm Water Coalition Board, Family Farm Alliance Board, Crescent Canal Board and the San Luis Delta Mendota Water Authority. “I enjoy being involved with issues that affect the farming community,” he said.

In 1994, Errotabere was appointed by Shawn Stevenson as the Water Chairman for Fresno County Farm Bureau. In 2002, he became a Director At-Large on the FCFB Board of Directors. He has also served on the CFBF water committee.

It has been interesting gaining Farm Bureau’s perspective on the world,” Errotabere said. “The county has many crops and issues behind it. I have learned a lot about the other commodities from both a county and state perspective.”

Errotabere has been an incredible spokesperson for Farm Bureau on local water issues. In his work with the media, he has proved to be very articulate and knowledgeable of the entire farming community.

In addition to Errotabere’s involvement with FCFB and water boards, he is a graduate of the California Ag Leadership Program, Class XXI; and a board member of both Ag One Foundation (scholarships) and Ag Foundation Board (school farm) for California State University, Fresno.

More about Errotabere

Errotabere was born in Fresno, and graduated from Riverdale High School in 1973. While helping run the family farm, he went to school and graduated in 1985 from Fresno State with his bachelor’s degree in agricultural business.

Errotabere lives in northwest Fresno and takes the 40-minute commute to the farm in Riverdale everyday. He has been married to Susan for 20 years, and has two children: his son Ryan, 16, and his daughter Marisa, 14. Both children attend San Joaquin Memorial High School in Fresno.

Errotabere has recently taken golf lessons and likes to golf at the Riverside Country Club in Fresno with his son Ryan. In addition to golf, he enjoys fishing, skiing and traveling.

Meet Your Board Members Profile: Ag Today, Aug 07

By: John Migliazzo